Discovering the Truth
by Nature9000
Summary: In boredom, Jade begins to observe and question the antics of her friend's sibling. When she and Beck begin to investigate Trina's behavior, she reveals the reason to be connected to a more sinister secret. It's a darker truth to learn, and normally she'd ignore what was above her head, but sometimes doing the right thing is the best thing to do, despite the risks involved.


Discovering the Truth

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A\N: So here's a little fun sleuthing with Beck and Jade, do enjoy.

* * *

-FIGURE IT OUT-

Unpoised, over-the-top dramatics, unable to dance, yet able to perform martial arts and take on three men at once. Something didn't add up, and Jade was going to find the truth. "Why are we here?" Beck muttered as they waited on the Vega family couch. "Tori's not here."

"We're not here for Tori, Beck." Jade kicked her heels up on the coffee table and looked over her shoulder. "We're here for Trina." His eyebrow rose and he looked to Jade with a baffled look.

"Since when do you want to talk to her?"

"I don't, but I need to figure something out." She leaned sideways and slouched. "Ever since we've known Trina, she's been relatively uncoordinated, right?" He scratched behind his ear and blew out a sharp breath.

"Yes."

"So, if she's uncoordinated and she can't dance, sing, or even act-then how did she make it into Hollywood Arts those years ago?"

"We covered that. Sikowitz said he was high or something." While that was true, she was still skeptical. She wouldn't have passed the second audition if there wasn't something she was skilled at. "Besides, she's gifted at martial arts."

"Exactly! She beat up you, Robbie, and Andre all by herself." Jade was aware of the martial arts classes that Hollywood Arts taught, and Tori already told them Trina took some Tae Kwon Do classes for a few years before. "Any martial artist has balance, and typically knows how to dance-or could dance. Their moves and formations are essentially dances."

He rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow at her. "What's your point?"

"My point is she's lying about something, and I want to figure out what it is." This investigation was brought on essentially by summer boredom, and something Tori mentioned. They had asked how Tori was able to sing as well as she did when she first started, and she told them about their grandmother being a vocal coach. "Both Tori and her sister took singing lessons from their grandmother when they were growing up, hobbies, so technically Trina should be able to sing as well."

She snapped her fingers and Beck leaned his head back. "She can't even hold a note, much less _sing_."

"But what if that's what she wants us to believe? What if there's something more to it all, what if she can sing?" She narrowed her eyes and slowly moved her fingers across her chin. "But then, why would she act like she couldn't, if she could?"

"And you care, why?"

"Bored." Jade shrugged and pushed herself up. "Trina's in her room…" Mr. Vega let them in and told them that Trina was practicing for an upcoming tournament, so this could be a good opportunity to catch a glimpse of the girl's moves. "If she's got her door open at all, maybe we can watch."

"Are you serious? You know the Vega's never let us upstairs."

"I know, but Mr. Vega's in his study. Tori's practicing with Andre, and Mrs. Vega's god knows where-we won't get caught." Jade pulled Beck up and glanced towards the stairs. "Another thing I was thinking about recently. You remember Tori's big showcase a couple years ago?"

He folded his arms and shrugged. "Uh huh." His eyes drifted to the side and his eyebrows bounced. "What about it?"

"We all forgot the fact that Trina was supposed to sing first, then she ate something that she was allergic to." That said, Trina was no idiot, even Jade knew this. Trina would have known she was allergic to something that clearly her entire family knew about. "Wasn't it convenient that she had an allergic reaction?"

"Come on Jade." He unfolded his arms and tucked up the corner of his lip. "Assuming Trina can actually sing, why would she purposely blow a big showcase? Why would she intentionally sabotage a chance to be recognized by the school, like Tori is now?"

"I don't know, but I have my theory." It could be that Trina didn't _want_ that recognition. It would be simpler to ask Trina herself, but if she was trying to cover something up, then she'd never tell the truth. Hell, the woman didn't want anything to do with Tori's friends anymore in the first place, so it was unlikely she'd simply talk to them. "She's been pretty influential too, that's not the first time she helped Tori out."

"They're sisters, Jade. Why wouldn't they help each other out

"True point." With a sigh of defeat, Beck followed her up the stairs. There were four doors. The bedrooms were designated with the sisters' names above the closed door. The bathroom was open, and the third door was slightly ajar. "There!" Jade pointed and spoke in a hushed tone. "I hear noises from there."

She moved carefully towards the door and crouched low while peeking through the opening. What she saw amazed her. Trina was in a formation and threw herself onto her hands while kicking straight up into the air. She then twisted her body and brought her legs down while bringing herself up and throwing a flurry of punches.

"Holy shit, she can move!"

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder." He rubbed his arm and started to wince. "So we've discovered she knows martial arts, big whoop." Trina finished the formation once her cell began to ring. Jade shushed Beck and listened as the girl answered.

"Hey babe," Trina answered. Jade's eyebrows rose as the girl leaned against a workout bench. She moved her hand along her shoulder and cracked her neck as the sun reflected off her sweat drenched body. "Wishing me luck at the tournament? This is my chance, I'm excited."

Trina crossed her legs and looked towards the door, so Jade immediately ducked out of sight. She was curious who this person was that Trina was talking to, but by the tone in her voice, she could only assume a lover.

Jade shook her head and looked towards Beck. "Since when is she dating someone?" Not to mention, she wasn't acting clingy or obsessive over the phone conversation. "Something's not right."

"No, Jason." Trina stood upright and turned towards the window with a hum. "I don't really need any of their support. As long as they focus on her, I'll be fine."

Beck turned his head, "Focus on who?" It was likely to be Tori, but thing still didn't add up.

"This is my dream. Winning this tournament, and what it could mean for me-god I only wish you could be here."

Someone cleared their throat from behind, startling the two. Jade twisted to see Holly glaring at them with a tense posture. She was holding a laundry basket with one arm and was tapping her foot on the ground. "What are you two doing? This area of the house is off limits."

"Sorry, Mrs. Vega." Jade immediately rose, deciding it was best not to clash with the woman. Holly snapped her free arm towards the steps and snapped her fingers.

"And this is exactly why. The girls need their privacy, not people peeping in on them. Downstairs, now." Jade gave an earnest nod and walked downstairs as swiftly as she could, albeit with Holly directly behind.

The next morning she decided to poke around the choir director's office at the school, thinking she'd find something to either prove or disprove her theory. The file cabinet was locked up, so she needed another way to locate Trina's files.

Cat watched from the doorway, still skeptical of Jade's plans. "Why don't you just ask Trina or Tori? All this is just going to get you in trouble if you're caught." Jade looked up from Mrs. Simpson's desk and pursed her lips.

"Trina wouldn't tell us anything, most likely, and I doubt Tori really knows much."

"Okay. So what if your theory is correct?" Cat walked forward and uncrossed her arms. "Who cares, what does it prove?"

"It proves that she's keeping something from even her family. Once I figure out if that's the case, I'm going to figure out why."

"Well it's no secret she's into martial arts, so…she's not keeping that secret."

Jade shuffled the papers in the desk drawer and felt a metal object beneath them. "Well we didn't know she had a boyfriend."

Cat's eyes rolled and drifted to the file cabinet. "She doesn't tell us stuff like that, obviously. I asked Tori about it when you called, and she confirmed that her boyfriend was someone she met a while back-you remember Sikowitz's nephew?" Her heart stalled and her eyes began to enlarge as her fingers curled around the newly discovered keys.

"From the whole sleepover thing?"

"Yeah. Tori says they've been together a while now, she's even gone with Trina to have dinner at Sikowitz's place with Jason." A lump formed in her throat and she moved her hand up to her chest, struggling to subdue the surprise taking over.

Cat furrowed her brow and walked over to her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just thinking if she's in close with Sikowitz, and there's something she doesn't want people to know…He told us he got high off coconut milk when she originally auditioned."

"So?"

"What if he lied to us?" Jade reached for Cat's shoulders and looked into the girl's curious gaze. "What if she told him to make some cockamamie story if someone ever asked about her."

Cat brushed her hands away and shook her head. "Why act crazy? Why act obsessed with fame?"

"So people won't think she's important." Jade clapped her hands and smirked with triumph. "People will ignore her, think she's nuts."

"But what would be the point?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out!" The office door slid open and Jade flinched as a tall blonde woman stepped in. She straightened herself and looked to the woman with a slight chuckle. "Mrs. Simpson, we were just looking for you."

"What are you two doing in my office?" The woman crossed her arms and made her way to the desk. "Looking for me, what did you need?"

"We just wanted to ask about Trina, that's all."

"Trina Vega?"

"Yes." A wrinkle formed across the woman's forehead as she sank into her leather desk chair.

"I have nothing to say about her, sorry." Jade frowned as the teacher glanced to the file cabinet. "And if you were looking for information on her, I no longer have her records on file. Mr. Sikowitz came by recently and took them."

"Oh…I see."

"Is there anything else?" Mrs. Simpson folded her left hand over her right and leaned forward, piercing Jade's eyes with her own.

Jade despaired for the moment and rubbed her neck with a heavy sigh. "No, I don't think so, but thanks anyway." In order to uncover Trina's secret, they'd have to get information from Sikowitz, but now she was uncertain whether he could be trusted to help them. "By the way, do you know how it was Trina got into the school? She doesn't seem the type to be accepted in-I guess if someone were drunk or something-"

The woman's abrupt laugh caused her to flinch. She raised an eyebrow as the teacher slowly shook her head. "Nobody was 'drunk' at her audition. She got in fair and square just like every other student here. I suppose you could say it was her athleticism that impressed those she was auditioning for."

"Athleticism. Okay." That was a lead to go on, but it still didn't make any sense why she didn't want people knowing about it. "Does she seem to hide that fact?"

"What?" Mrs. Simpson leaned back and huffed. "No, she's never hidden her passion for athletics. Hell, she's always with Allison."

Allison Raymond was the martial arts and gym instructor at the school, and upon further thought, Jade was certain she recalled Trina spending some time in the woman's office.

"I guess singing and acting aren't the only things to do to get into the school, then."

"Of course not, there is talent in other skills. Can I help you with anything else?"

"No ma'am." She hurried outside and swept her hands through her hair. Cat appeared satisfied with their findings, but for her this wasn't enough. "We still don't have what we're looking for, Cat. I'd hoped to get more out of Mrs. Simpson-"

"Maybe we should talk to Coach Raymond? Or, maybe we can convince Sikowitz to tell us the truth, although I'm stunned he lied to us."

"Yeah." So now she couldn't be sure to trust him with the truth, especially not now. Seeing as how he retrieved Trina's records, he may know someone was looking in on the girl's past. "Mrs. Vega probably told Trina we were spying on her the other day."

"Or even Tori, but there's nothing you can really do about that."

"Right…"

Sikowitz's office was cluttered with papers and office supplies. He wasn't in, and Jade enlisted Robbie to help keep watch just in case he showed up. She didn't think he'd tell her anything straight up, so that left some sleuthing on her own. Beck was on the other side of the office, going through the paperwork on that end.

"I don't like this," he complained. Jade rolled her eyes and swept a sheet of paper to the right. He was beginning to grate on her nerves with as many times as he complained about this work.

"Well your complaining isn't going to make this go any faster." She leaned upright and slid her hands to her hips. "You don't have to help, if you don't want to."

He leaned over the bottom drawer of a file cabinet and let his shoulders fall. "No. I'm helping, because if you wind up getting in trouble for snooping around our teacher's office, I'm going down with you." Her heart skipped a beat and the corners of her lips rose. His eyes drifted into hers and she let herself relax for the moment

"Well, I appreciate it." The right corner of his lip tugged upwards and he flashed a toothy grin.

"I want to know why Sikowitz told us a lie about her also. I mean, I know we harp on her all the time, but that's no reason for him to tell us a lie." Jade walked over to the file cabinet and looked down to the folders while Beck rummaged through them.

After some amount of failure searching the 'V names, he scratched his head and growled. Jade scanned the area surrounding the file cabinet and spotted several manila folders sitting on the top. "Maybe it's in this pile."

"No offense to Mr. Sikowitz, but…" He stood upright and adjusted his shirt. "He really needs to clean his office." She grabbed the folders and scanned the names on the tabs of each. In the corner of her eyes, she watched Beck run his fingers along the surface of the desk. "There's like a thin layer of dust here-I didn't think he'd be this sloppy."

"Well maybe he just doesn't come in his office much, it's possible he does everything at home." When she saw Trina's name on one of the tabs in the middle of the pile, she let out a triumphant shout and carried the folders over to the desk. "Found her!"

"Great. The sooner we can get out of here, the better." He tugged up on his collar and wiped his nose. "I think I'm starting to catch wind of some of that dust."

"You'll be fine."

She dropped the folders onto the desk and opened Trina's with haste. The very top page was the oldest file on her, dated January 2007. "Hey Beck, Trina entered the school when she was thirteen."

Trina's birthday was in April, so she hadn't yet turned fourteen when the audition date was listed. "What?" Beck rushed over and stared down at the paper with the intensity of deep reading. "It says here she was one of the students of Maria Marlow's Academy of Gymnastics. Only forty of the students were selected to audition, and only fifteen made the cut, including Trina." More surprising than that was the rank Trina had been in the academy, she was fifth in her class.

According to the report, Trina's father was the one who encouraged her to audition. The more Jade read, the more her heartbeat increased. Eventually they came down to the classes that Trina was to take aside from core curriculum. Acting and drama with Mr. Sikowitz, martial arts with Mrs. Raymond, track and field with Coach McNulty.

"She took dance classes at the suggestion of Coach Raymond," Jade muttered, "To help further her martial arts training." As she read the notes scribbled at the bottom of the page, she felt a sense of silence and shock creeping up her spine. "She also took choir with Mrs. Simpson, but at the request and urging of her grandmother."

"Thirteen years old, I guess I can see how she'd want to please her family." It seemed like a large load, but these classes were not all at once, and some actually went hand in hand. "So what were the grades like? Terrible? I mean we've seen her try and dance, we've heard her try and sing."

"Tori and Trina were both coached by their grandmother growing up, Beck. We know Tori can make herself sound like the world's shittiest singer if she wants, who's to say Trina can't do the same?" She took a deep breath and moved the top paper to the side, revealing a string of progress reports.

Through the years, Trina had taken an instrumental class as well, though it was at the urging of Mrs. Simpson. "She gets an A in piano-not surprising considering the piano they have at the house. I've never heard either one of the girls play, though."

"Yeah." Beck grabbed one of the report cards and rubbed is jaw while studying the paper. "A's, B's, and one or two C's. Overall, a good student. All A's in the athletic stuff, the other stuff-maybe it's for lack of trying?"

"Why?"

"Instructor notes say she does well, but lacks effort and concern. Almost like she's not as into the choir or acting classes."

With a hum, Jade returned her focus to the papers. Many of the records regarding her choir class had several startling notes written by the instructor. "Look at this." He leaned forward and his lips parted an inch as Jade scanned Mrs. Simpson's notes. "Looks like Mrs. Simpson saw some promise and wanted to get her to focus more on her singing."

"All of a sudden, I'm very curious." He lowered his hand. "Should we pay Mrs. Simpson another visit?"

"I think so, she didn't seem too happy when we were talking about Trina." A sudden rapping at the door caused her to flinch. Robbie poked his head into the room, his eyebrows were high and his eyes filled with panic.

"Sikowitz is walking down the hall, guys!"

"Shit!" She tossed the folder to Beck and rushed towards the window. "Put that back and hurry out." He obliged while Jade hurried to open the window. They could hear Sikowitz outside, talking to Robbie, so she could relax for a moment.

After making her way out the window, she turned and bounced on her feet and waited anxiously for Beck. "Come on, hurry up." He was out within seconds, and shut the window just as the office door was opening. She pulled him down beneath the window when she saw the teacher walking towards it. "Do you think he saw?"

"I doubt it." Beck looked up at the window and frowned. Sikowitz scratched his head, then walked away. "He's gone."

"Thank god…" She put her hand over her heart and cringed at the rapid pulses rushing beneath her skin. Had they been caught, they could have been in serious trouble. She hugged her boyfriend's neck, taking him by surprise. "I'm sorry for getting you involved in all this."

"Don't be." His chuckle was unexpected, and his eyes were filled with excitement. "That was actually pretty fun. I like doing this. Hell, I wouldn't be with you if I didn't enjoy getting in trouble." He smirked handsomely and Jade smiled back at him.

"Funny." She kissed the corner of his lips and rose to her feet. "Come on, let's go see what Mrs. Simpson has to say…"

"Yes." Mrs. Simpson set her hands on her desk, folding them over each other as Jade and Beck studied her closely. Her shoulders were broad and her jaw was locked in place while her eyes were in narrow slants. "Mrs. Raymond and Coach McNulty were Trina's favorite teachers." The woman brought her hand to her chest and closed her eyes, speaking with a loud and shrill tone. "I saw the potential in her, along with the dance instructor. She was a fantastic student, one of the top in my class, so I pushed her to take a greater interest in a singing career."

Jade's jaw dropped to the floor and she quickly cleared her throat. When the woman smacked the desk, she jumped while feeling the vibration of the strike shoot through her. "Trina wouldn't have it, though. She simply wasn't interested, saying she was taking the class for her grandmother, and taking the dance class to help her in gymnastics and martial arts. I did everything I could to get her interested in singing, and I do mean everything."

"She acts so passionate about it _now_," Beck replied. He crossed his arms as Mrs. Simpson shot him a skeptical look. "Throws herself at talent coaches, and makes a fool of herself. Hell, she acts like she can't sing or act worth a damn, so I don't know…we saw the records, so we know she must have been good, but something just doesn't add up."

"Think about it." The woman brushed her hair back. Her tone dripped with nonchalance as lines stretched out from her tightened lips. "While this school does support athletics, and some of the core curriculum needed to actually be accredited, what are the primary talents everyone concerns themselves with?"

"Acting, singing, dancing, and music?"

"Correct." Mrs. Simpson laced her fingers together and brought her hands up to rest beneath her chin. "Now what happened when Tori stepped onto that stage and sung in that showcase?"

"I remember." Jade leaned her left shoulder against the wall and hummed as she recalled Tori's big number. "Eikner pressed her to join the school and take all these singing classes. She was discovered by the principal and teachers, and made to sing all these gigs and numbers every week." A fate that would have been Trina's, had she sang in that big showcase. That was assuming what the records, and Mrs. Simpson were saying was accurate.

"Exactly. The most talented students, this school pushes them in a general direction. Sadly we don't have a high turnover rate, but that's what happens. You don't become famous that easily, you don't hit it big…" Her heart sank as the teacher's bitter tone caused the energy in the room to become heavy. "You end up _maybe_ getting lucky enough to go into a community college, where if you're really passionate-you can teach the subject. Your friend Tori most likely will never become a famous singer, because that's what life is-but this school still teaches that you should follow your dreams and passions regardless."

"Way to make someone feel bad about their goals in life."

"Sorry, but you're looking for the truth, and I'm giving you the truth."

Jade snapped her tone and lashed out in anger, she could feel the rush of adrenaline and anger coursing through her veins. The last thing she wanted was to hear that so few of the students at the school managed to gain the fame they sought, but perhaps it was just due to this teacher getting too old and bitter.

"We're looking for the truth about _Trina_."

Mrs. Simpson rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively through the air. "Yes, yes. It should be her where Victoria is, but sadly that isn't the case." A chill shot down Jade's back and she exchanged a look of confusion with Beck. Mrs. Simpson crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "How quickly did everyone become infatuated with Trina's sister that they forgot…the showcase was for _Katrina." _The woman pressed her fingertips to her chest and scoffed. "Do you think I would have arranged a showcase in front of the entire school and community if I felt Trina could not sing! Insulting."

"Well do you know why she'd act the way she does now?"

"If Eikner, or anyone took her seriously in regards to singing, or acting, then they would do as I had done…they would pursue her and attempt to convince her to go in that particular path, perhaps. There…is more to the way this school is run than you may realize. Consider the possibility that Katrina found a loophole of sorts."

"Loophole? What loophole?" Jade watched with impatience as the woman looked down to the documents on her desk. "Mrs. Simpson? What loophole are you talking-"

The woman cut her off and threw her hand up in the air. "I've said enough, and I have paperwork to finish." She let out a defeated sigh and shook her head, she was in no mood to try and force an answer from the woman. Besides, arguing with authority figures had a tendency to stop her from furthering a plan. "Just figure that the girl is smarter than you realize, and stop investigating."

"Why?"

"If you investigate too much, it can be a problem…"

"Fine." She grabbed Beck's wrist and pulled him out of the office. He turned to her and a look of exasperation came over him. She squinted her eyes and glanced down the hall. "Oh we're going to keep looking into this."

"That sounded pretty ominous, Jade. What do you think she meant by all of that?"

"There's a reason Trina acts the way she does, and I think it has to do with the school leaders themselves." It was a new theory, but not one that could easily be confirmed. From what Mrs. Simpson was saying, it sounded like the school leaders were totalitarian in some sense, and that bothered her. "I have a theory, but I doubt it. Primarily because I haven't seen anything that would imply…"

Beck slouched and moved his hand up to his forehead. "God Jade, don't tell me you're going to start snooping around the principal and everything."

"No, no, we're still looking up Trina. I just think the reason she acts the way she does might have to do with the school." Then, Trina would have to keep up her image at home or in the presence of Tori's friends. "I'd like to talk to Tori. Let's call her-"

"No need." He pointed behind her and she twisted around to catch a glimpse of Tori turning the corner and walking down the hallway. When the girl's eyes met theirs, she turned her lips up and waved at them.

"Hey guys!" Tori picked up the pace and hurried over to them. "What's up? Cat and Robbie say you've been doing some investigative type stuff, almost got in trouble, from what I hear."

"Almost still means we didn't get caught." Jade folded her arms and smirked at the girl. "I have a question about Trina." Tori's lips curled into her cheeks and her eyebrows fell flat.

"You've all been asking a lot of questions about her recently. What's going on?"

"Nothing, we were just wondering…Has Trina always been, you know, weird like she is?" Tori jerked back and a wrinkle popped up between her eyebrows.

"No. I mean, she started acting the way she acts now just a little before that big showcase…" Tori hooked her finger over her bottom lip and bit down on her nail. "I've never thought much of it, but now that you mention it, that is kind of odd. She's always so serious when she's practicing-like we turned that guest room into a gym, and I'll hear her practicing. She's always got music playing and seems so intense, doesn't like to be bothered."

"But she acts so crazy around us, and around the school. Have you never asked her why?"

"Nope, I've never been concerned about it. She and dad kind of do their own thing, you know." Tori lowered her hand and shrugged. "He's always encouraging her to keep practicing and to do what she loves. I think her true passion is in that, and not singing or acting. She seems so real when she's practicing, almost like that is who she is."

"When's her tournament?" Beck asked. Tori arched her brow and crinkled her nose at him.

"You know about that?"

Jade bowed her head as he attempted to recover. "We overheard her talking about it at your place once." Tori looked suspicious for a minute, but dismissed it.

"Yeah, that's in a couple days-same time as the concert that Mrs. Simpson's got me doing. Dad's actually going to try and go to Trina's tournament." The last few words fell out with sorrow, but Tori immediately perked up her voice as though trying to deflect the sadness. "I think that's a good thing, though. Trina doesn't get a lot of attention, people don't take her seriously, so I think Dad showing his support for her is really important."

"People don't take her seriously because of how she acts. Doesn't she get that?"

"You know something? I think she does…" Jade's eyes widened as Tori rolled her head to the right. "I hear her talking to Jason on the phone sometimes-he's away at basic in the Marines, by the way."

"Ah…"

Tori cleared her throat and scratched her chin. "But anyway…I remember overhearing her mention how she wanted people to think she was crazy. I don't remember the reason she gave, but she seemed to think being obsessive would ward people away from her-like it was a good thing."

"I've never heard of someone _wanting_ to isolate themselves from people." Perhaps it was all a strategy of some sort, because Trina didn't display any antisocial tendencies. "She's had classes with Sikowitz, so I guess it shouldn't surprise us that she knows how to act."

"Yeah. That is kind of obvious."

Jade frowned at the girl and opened started to speak, but Beck spoke first, his words matched her thoughts. "You're the one always saying she's got no talent for anything-you know, along with the rest of us, and now you're agreeing that she would know how to act?" Tori shrugged in response.

"Well guys, it doesn't make sense that you wouldn't learn how to do something that you go to school for. Trina does have her own talents, I'm sorry if letting people say what they want about her gave you the impression I thought otherwise about my sister."

"You shouldn't let people get away with it in the first place."

"I know, that's my mistake." Tori walked past them and exhaled sharply. "It stops here, then." Jade tensed as Tori twisted her head over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes. "I've told Cat, Robbie and Andre already-I expect you two to respect my family too. I'm tired of catching heat from dad for 'letting' you all have 'free reign' under his roof."

Jade flashed a vague smile and responded with a soft tone. "Alright, we'll be more respectful." She had to compromise, even though she didn't truly want to. Tori's friendship was important nonetheless, so she would try not to speak ill of her relatives or outwardly talk down to them. "Might be tough at first, but I'll try not to talk down to them."

"I appreciate it."

"Hey, maybe we can cheer Trina on at her tournament?" Tori turned fully and smiled at her. "I know it might mean missing your concert, but maybe if she sees us being supportive, she'll stop acting the way she does."

"Maybe. I'll have other concerts, I'd skip this one myself, but the school's making me go through it." Tori chuckled nervously and closed her eyes. "Not like I have a sister to put on the stage in my place, right?"

As uncomfortable as a thought that it was, she tried not to sound odd. "Sure…" It still came out with an awkward and uncertain tone as she didn't know how to respond.

Tori laughed and waved them off. "Okay, if you'll go to Trina's tournament to support her, I'll tell you when and where it is."

"Great! I guess it's pretty important to her, huh?"

"Yes." Tori crossed her arms and blinked twice before responding. "There's apparently a grandmaster of a prestigious martial arts academy in attendance. He wants to recruit the top fighters of the tournament, and the winner will likely get a free ride, as far as I know from what she's talked to dad about."

Jade practically hit the floor. It all made sense now, or at least what Trina said on the phone about her big break made sense. Beck smiled charmingly and nodded to Tori. "Then we'll root for her to get into that academy."

"Thanks guys. Now, I need to get going before Mrs. Simpson's upset with me…"

At the tournament, Jade was overcome by the amount of fighters training in the arena. Trina was in the middle, sparring with someone from the _Wasabi Warriors_ dojo. She was on the offense while her sparring partner worked to defect her swift blows.

"She's on fire," Beck remarked in awe. Each strike was performed with passion, and as Jade watched, she could see for the first time just how determined Trina was.

"She wants this, you can see in her eyes and movement how important this is to her." Trina grabbed the boy's arm, twisted it around his back, then planted her palm up between his shoulders, forcing him to buckle forward. "This isn't an act, this is who she is."

Jade's breathing grew still as Trina's sharp eyes rose into the stands. As Trina's eyes narrowed, Jade felt as though she were being scorched by a burning flame. The entire room seemed to grow silent, and all others faded away.

She felt Beck lean into her, but couldn't pull her eyes away from Trina's white-hot glare. "Jade, do you think she sees us, it's like she's looking right at us." Jade struggled to speak and groaned as her body trembled with an unknown force.

Trina released her partner and pat his back before reaching for her towel and walking towards the doors of the arena.

"Where are the bathrooms in this place, Beck?"

"Just around the corner. You need to go?"

"Yeah. All of a sudden I don't feel too well." He grew concerned and helped her up. They carefully left the stands and made their way to the bathroom. The hallway was empty, but there was a chill in the air that made her far more nervous than she wanted to feel. "Do you think everything we know about her is wrong?"

"No, I just think there's stuff about her that we don't know, that's all. Then, there's stuff she probably didn't want us to know about."

"Like this." At the sound of Trina's voice, Jade froze and scanned the hallway with her eyes. She tried in vain to turn, and let a sudden force push her against the wall. She cried out as Trina locked her wrists behind her back and pressed her forearm against the back of her neck. "What are you doing here? You're not ruining my chances."

"Trina wait!" Beck started to rush forward, but stopped when Trina snapped her glare in his direction.

"I want answers, Beck. Jade. Why are you two here." The suspicion in her voice stung, and Jade was afraid to say anything. "Did Tori tell you? She doesn't know how to keep things to herself, does she!"

"She wanted us to show our support," Jade answered, "We're here to support you."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"You don't have to believe us, but we're telling the truth. You're a great fighter, you seem very focused and very driven." She spoke fast so that everything that needed to be said could get out. She let out a grunt when Trina's grip tightened on her wrists. "Tori told us about the academy and the grandmaster that should be here, and we really hope you get in. Hell, we hope you win."

Trina huffed and released her, letting her turn around to face the angry woman. Jade rubbed her wrists and looked into Trina's eyes with gratitude. "It costs a lot of money to get in otherwise. Dad says he's willing to pay for it, but I think I can at least be one of the top fighters at the tournament today-if not win. That way Dad doesn't have to pay so much for me."

"You mean he's actually-"

"Not as absent or negligent as he seems? That's just a façade, he's really busy but he tries to make time for his family." Trina crossed her arms and paced to the right. Her head tilted to the left and her eyes drifted towards the ceiling. "Now, I want the truth. I know you've been poking around my personal private life, as well as my past, and I want to know why."

Jade's lips parted and her eyes grew large as the woman turned to her. "How?" Unless Tori said something, there was nothing they could have done to tip her off.

Trina looked to the palm of her hand and curled her fingers inwards while studying her nails. They were neatly trimmed for the tournament and painted a light peach color.

Her gaze drifted from the nails and onto Jade. Trina pulled her hand down and flattened her eyebrows. "Just how stupid do you think I am?" A lump formed in Jade's throat while Beck walked up beside her. "I saw you spying on me the other day just before hearing mom order you downstairs. Mr. Sikowitz told me that someone got into his office and moved my file-"

"How would he know that?"

"He's got a good mind." Trina's voice grew flat. "The folder was moved from the middle to the top of the large pile, and the stack on top of his file cabinet had been turned around." Trina leaned to the right and uncrossed her arms. "And Tori did tell me you were asking a bunch of questions about me."

The girl's unflinching gaze sharpened and Jade felt a sudden rush of anxiety and adrenaline. Never had she felt like this before, and she couldn't figure out why she felt this way now.

"I want to know why you're all of a sudden so interested in my life. Whether or not you're here to 'support' me, there's got to be an underlying motive."

"Why does there have to be one?"

"Because." Trina circled her like a shark. "With you, you never do anything 'just because'. There's always a reason, there's always something you don't let people know. You think I haven't observed you and the rest of Tori's friends over the years? My dad taught me everything I know-he was a criminal profiler at one point, and taught me how to observe and read people."

"Okay." Jade took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It was just, I got bored and was thinking about how you always act like you can't do anything…yet you know how to fight." Trina faced her and stood strong, her shoulders were broad and her muscles tense. "So I didn't think you were actually as unpoised as we all thought."

"Of course not, martial arts teaches balance-among other things. Balance, fluid movement…Just the fact that I kicked your boyfriend's ass, and two other guys at the same time should be enough to tip you off on that." As she smirked, Beck dropped his head. "But you were looking in my records. Why? If you were interested in my martial arts, Tori could have told you that. I'm athletic, there's no mistaking that."

"But you can sing and dance, even act, yet you act like you can't."

"Yes. There would never have been a showcase for me to perform in if I couldn't sing." Trina rolled her eyes and looked away with a scoff. "It's not my fault that you and your friends forgot that and called me untalented, I was supposed to sing before Tori was even a gleam in anybody's eyes besides her own family. So don't go forgetting it."

"Well if you didn't put on an act and act obsessive about it, then maybe people wouldn't think of you the way they do."

"I hardly care." Jade's forehead tightened and she turned as Trina passed her to lean on the wall behind her. "It's that damn school, that's what it is. I have to act like that, that way they ignore me."

"Ignore you? Why would you want to be ignored, or thought of as crazy?"

"Still pretty sure you guys are the only ones that think I'm clinically insane, the rest of the school just ignores me until someone makes a big deal out of it." The accusation hurt, but she wasn't going to deny it. It took a great deal of effort not to argue or say anything combative, but both girls wanted answers, so she needed to cooperate.

"So why do it? Mrs. Simpson acts like you blew the whole showcase, she says you found a 'loophole'."

"I did." Trina's lips curved into a slick smile. "My sister." Jade's heart stopped as Trina pushed herself from the wall. She already figured this, but hearing it from Trina herself cemented it. "I wasn't the best singer in choir, nor was I the best dancer, and not the best actress in Sikowitz's class. I was passionate about gymnastics, about martial arts-but Mrs. Simpson got Eikner wanting me to go through the singer and actress career track."

"Couldn't you just tell them you weren't into it?"

There was a long pause before a strain of sorrow surrounded them. Trina's voice grew soft and her eyelids fell halfway. "No. That's just it, you're not understanding-but because you _want_ to pursue acting or singing. Because you want it, there's no problem. You want what they want, what they feel you're good at." Her hands began to sweat and she took a slight step away from Trina.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, you're in a school that doesn't truly care what the student wants. They're only happy when things go their way." Her heart sank and Beck started to protest, but Trina cut him off. "The teacher I had at the school was one of the best, and of course lessons were free, and I didn't want to lose that."

"Would you have had to lose it?"

"Yes, I would have had to give up on my dream. My goal." Trina inhaled and looked to the doors of the arena. "Sikowitz is one of the few teachers that doesn't believe in the 'my way or the highway' philosophy of the school. That's why he's helped me for so long, along with the fact that I'm dating his nephew."

She was trying to let it all sink in, but it still didn't make a great deal of sense. "We've never heard anything about the school being in any way unconcerned about the students."

"Because most students either are on the track they want to be on, or were convinced by the Director. Dad's been investigating this over the last couple of years, he's going to give them an ultimatum pretty soon."

"Ultimatum?" She put her hand to her forehead and shook her head. "This isn't making sense, Trina. It's not explaining much."

"Okay, let me spell it out for you." Trina walked to a nearby vending machine and ordered a bottle of water. Jade and Beck walked over, not saying anything. Beck appeared with more confusion, and clearly he wanted to say something, but was keeping quiet.

Once Trina grabbed the bottle from the machine and took a drink, she turned to the two and her expression grew stern. "The night of the showcase, I was met with an ultimatum. Perform, let everybody in the school recognize me as a singer. I was to do gigs, sing for people, and of course my entire schedule would revolve around this."

"Like Tori's?" Beck asked. Trina nodded once and recapped the water bottle.

"If I refused to sing in the showcase, I'd be kicked out of the school for not doing what they wanted me to do." Jade felt her knees buckle and grabbed Beck's shoulder to avoid the urge to stumble or fall. Trina turned her head to her and raised an eyebrow.

"You're saying they would have expelled you?" Jade cleared her throat an and wrinkled her nose at Trina. "Can they do that? I mean, of course they can expel a student-but for no reason?"

"Apparently. They're not supposed to have that kind of influence or control, but nobody's stopping them from doing it. They'll just label the student as being a delinquent or something, put that on their permanent record and kick them out of school."

"That's not right! How would a student expect to get into college with that on their record?"

"It's difficult, but Dad's ordering them to change that or they'll be shut down." Her hand flew to her chest and her eyebrows meshed together.

"Still, you didn't get expelled, obviously-but you didn't sing. You said…Tori was the 'loophole'." She turned up her head, realizing that Trina must have staged the entire allergy. "You faked an allergic reaction?"

"No. I intentionally took a small amount of something I was allergic to so that I would have a reaction." Trina closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "I knew that would make Tori go on in my place, that way Eikner and the school could have their star. They'd focus on her, but I knew if I didn't make them ignore me, it would only be a matter of time before they started in on me."

This was it, this was the reason for Trina's behavior. Jade gasped with triumph and snapped her fingers. "So you acted obsessive and upset, to the point you were more of an annoyance to Eikner? A thorn in his side?"

"Essentially." Trina shrugged. What Jade wasn't understanding however, was the fact that Trina could have still been expelled.

"But still you didn't perform, and if you all of a sudden couldn't sing, then the school would have no more use for you, right?"

"Wrong. They were forced to acknowledge that my athletic skills were my area of expertise. They were what got me into the school in the first place." Jade nodded, finally understanding. Once their interest in Trina's other options waned, they'd have to focus on the part where she was really talented. "I just didn't want them, or anyone else, trying to make a simple hobby into my life. Let them have Tori, but I want to focus on my athletic abilities."

"And how does Sikowitz come into play?"

"He's the one who told me to act obsessed about singing, dancing, and all that other stuff. That way if I act that way, being an annoyance would keep people from trying to focus in on a talent that I apparently do not have."

"Y-You said your dad's been trying to investigate this?"

"He wants to shut them down, but he can't find proof that they're falsely expelling students."

Jade could see that the school was in the wrong for this, but now that she knew the truth, she didn't know what to do. What hurt more was the fact that for the first time in her life, she was entirely uncertain and torn.

All fighters were being called back to the arena, so Jade and Beck wished Trina luck and returned to the stands.

Throughout the tournament, she couldn't focus on the fights. Her chest was heavy and her body filled with pain and anguish. All that she could set her mind on was the need to find this proof that Trina's dad was looking for, that it was the right thing to do. She wanted to be selfish and just ignore it, but the feeling inside of her was far too overwhelming.

She grasped Beck's hand, nearly crushing it. When she felt him flinch, she looked up to him and let out a soft whisper. "We have to do the right thing, Beck." He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth, but no words came out. "Mr. Vega needs proof the school's expelling students unfairly, ruining their permanent records…we need to find a way to get that proof for him."

"Jade? What are you talking about?" His brow furrowed and his lips tightened.

"I-I don't know, I just think it would be wrong to ignore it." Hell, even Tori acknowledged that singing was mainly a hobby for her. The way Trina talked about the leadership of the school, Tori would be expelled if she ever divulged that information. "I mean, Tori wants a career in science. She said veterinarian, but wasn't sure. I've heard her talk about being a chemist, or a biologist…she's even got an interest in botany. What if she said that out loud to one of the teachers that wasn't Mr. Sikowitz? What if she said singing was just a hobby-she could be expelled for it."

"I guess." He pulled his hand back and scratched his chin. "But what if we do find that proof, if we were to give it to Mr. Vega-he wants to shut the school down."

Granted, David was right to be angry that the school threatened to expel his daughter if she didn't do what they felt was best. As much as she didn't think it would be necessary, Jade wouldn't fight the decision. It could still take years, and some amount of trials, but then it might not.

"Regardless of how we feel, Beck…there could be a number of students like Trina, or like Tori-those that don't feel passionate and could be expelled. Do you think you can live with that guilt? I've done a lot of bad things, a lot of selfish things, but even I couldn't live with myself knowing that I could try and do the right thing and ignored it, allowing so many to be wrongfully expelled."

Beck cringed and turned away from her. "God I hate when you're right." He bowed his head and ran his fingers through his thick hair. "I will admit, I've been thinking about what kind of reasons for expelling a student the school might put down."

To get expelled from a school, you would have had to do something truly bad, especially if it was a straight expulsion with no suspensions on record.

"We need to go into Eikner's office, Beck…he won't tell the truth if we just confront him, we have to find proof."

His face fell and he moved his hand to his stomach, groaning loudly. "As if breaking into Mrs. Simpson's office and Sikowitz's office wasn't bad enough. You do know that if we were caught messing around _Eikner's_ office, then we'd be the ones getting expelled."

"It's a risk we need to take…" She looked back to the match and saw Trina walking to the center of the arena. This was the final match, and Trina was facing Jack Brewer, the guy she was sparring earlier. "Looks like Trina's in the finals…"

"She's been doing pretty good. I think she'll win."

"Same." Unfortunately, Jade still couldn't focus on the match. Her mind was still spinning to figure out how they could go about getting the proof that Mr. Vega needed. "We might need to get the others to help us, by the way."

"You're not serious."

"I am."

"They'll never go for it, Jade."

"Yes they will, because I'm telling them to." She smirked with confidence and shifted in her seat. As she watched the final match, the intensity of the fight drew her in for a moment. It lasted a while, but ended with Trina's victory. Jade applauded with the rest of those in the stands, rising to give a standing ovation. Beck stood next to her and she spoke with another whisper. "So people can do this, follow their passions without threat of expulsion."

"I guess the school just wants to recognize singing and acting for some reason."

"Yeah, and students like Trina, they don't deserve to be kicked around for not being passionate about those particular talents. That's why we need to do the right thing, even if we get in trouble for it."

"Think Mr. Vega would back us up?"

"Let's not worry about that unless it comes to it."

Within a few days the plan was being put in action, and she'd managed to get all of the others involved. Tori wasn't told about it, however, because Jade didn't want the girl's future to be put at risk.

"Jesus," Andre complained loudly, "The one time you decide to be selfless about something-we have to put our own futures at risk. Thanks a lot, Jade."

"You're welcome." Jade flashed a smile and pulled open Eikner's desk drawer. Andre was focused on the computer, searching through all of the man's files to try and find any evidence of students having been expelled. Beck and Cat were rummaging through file cabinets, and Robbie was once more standing guard outside.

"I still don't understand why we're doing this," Cat threw a hand in the air and turned to Jade. "I mean, if the school really is expelling students for no reason, then how are they staying in business?"

"They're falsifying records."

"And nobody's suing?"

"There has to be some way they're getting away with it. Maybe they're telling parents their kids are truly doing something wrong or aren't qualified, and maybe they're forcing the student to keep quiet. Whatever the case is…we need to figure it out"

It was possible the Superintendent himself was in on it, but then nothing was certain. "Let's just keep looking." Jade pulled out all the papers in the drawer and began shuffling through them. Still nothing was catching her eye, it was as if there was no evidence at all.

Beck called out and lifted a folder. "I think I found something!" The others surrounded him as he hurried to the desk and tossed the folder down in front of Jade. "There's a list of students that have been expelled from the school."

"What?" She grabbed the folder and opened it, her heart was racing with anticipation. "This could be what we're looking for, but how will we tell the ones that were legitimately expelled from the ones that were unfairly removed?"

Andre leaned over and pointed to a name. "I recognize that kid, Jacob Martin." Jade pursed her lips and Andre rolled his head to the right. "He was in one of my first band classes. Great guy, all A's and never got into trouble."

"Says here he was expelled for smashing holes in the school walls-damaging school property."

"That wasn't the Jacob I remember."

"I think I read that name somewhere," Cat responded with an abrupt tone and rushed back to the file cabinet. Jade looked up just as the redhead grabbed a folder and returned to the desk. "I was glancing through folders, but I know I came across his name here."

When Jade opened the folder, she found a list that was identical to the one Beck found, with only changes and notes written in the 'reasons for expulsion'. "It says here, Jacob Martin was truly expelled because of his adamant refusal to give up other classes in order to devote more time to his instrument." It was like a knife to the heart, and as she read the list of names, the pain only grew.

Her hands began to tremble as tears sprouted from beneath her eyelids. "There are dozens of names, and this list looks like it's only the rough draft. The other one is the one that officials see."

"Damn." Andre whistled through the silence and shook his head. "Yeah, one of the last things I remember about him was his saying how tired he was of music. I never thought that would be a reason he'd be expelled." Andre returned to the computer and motioned the others over. "Anyway, I think I found something."

"What is it?"

"Looks like a list of lawyers and officers that accepted bribes and payouts." Jade covered her mouth and scanned the document he had open. The numbers were the disturbing aspect, but still the school had so many officials in their pocket. "At least Mr. Vega's name isn't on this list."

"Yeah no, that's good." Jade cleared her throat and took the mouse from Andre so she could print the document. "We need to get this to him."

"B-But Jade, this could shut the school down. We'd have to go elsewhere."

"It's worth it! This is for Jacob, Andre-and for students like him." Andre pressed his lips together and bowed his head. "Do you want to be in that same situation? Trina's faked her own actions for this, people even now are at risk of being expelled, most likely. Go on and graduate from this school, knowing a lot of people in your classes right now aren't graduating with you because they didn't feel like doing what the school wanted them to do."

No one spoke a word, and the only sound in the room was Jade's heavy breathing. She couldn't help how fired up she was over this, it was to the point that it surprised even her.

"She's right." Cat looked up at her and let her lips fall into a flat line. "This is the right thing to do. I guess, none of us know what'll happen if Mr. Vega does get this school shut down-where we'll go or anything like that, but at least nobody will have their futures ruined with an expulsion on their permanent records."

"That does make getting into colleges a little harder, I guess." Andre walked over to the printer and grabbed the papers. "Yeah you're right, I don't think I could stomach ignoring the problem. A lot of people are going to be angry with us, though."

"They'll thank us in the long run." She took the papers and turned around in time to see Robbie walking into the office. To her dismay, Eikner was right behind him and clutching the boy's shoulder. "Shit. Robbie!"

"I tried," he proclaimed while throwing his hands up into the air. "He knew something was up."

"Put the papers down," Eikner ordered calmly, "And back away from my desk." Jade remained where she was and clutched the papers like they were her lifeline. The man's nostrils flared out and he took a few steps towards the group. "Five of my best students, breaking into my office and going through my things…I should have known you were up to no good when Mrs. Simpson told me you'd been going through her office as well."

Jade rolled the papers up and pointed them at Eikner. "We know the truth! We know what you've been doing. You can't buy out Mr. Vega, either-and that's who we're going to."

"And you think they're going to believe five delinquent students over a respected school director?" He smirked at her and raised his eyebrows. "Especially you, Miss West. There's already a list of delinquent acts on your record, including vandalism and assault. Breaking and entering is just one more negative on your record." He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the right. "As for 'truth', I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"What I'm talking about is this list." She unrolled the papers and pointed down to the names. "This list of lawyers who tried to sue the school in the names of students you wrongfully expelled, lawyers and officials that you bought off. You made the mistake of forgetting who Trina's and Tori's father was, and you tried to threaten Trina with expulsion. You can't buy off their father! Once he has this proof, he'll have what he needs to launch a full-scale investigation!"

"Let me see those." He extended his hand and retained his calm, stoic demeanor. "Give me that list." She swept it behind her back and growled at him, causing him to withdraw his hand.

"No, this doesn't leave my hands until I can give it to Mr. Vega. Like I said, we're onto you."

Andre held up a flash drive and narrowed his eyes at Eikner. "I've already saved everything onto this drive, too, so you're not doing anything. This is for Jacob, and all those whose permanent records are splotched because of you."

"Now come on. Mr. Harris, who was it that helped you out when you had nowhere else to go? Our school took you in, we gave you a goal, a dream, something to work for and focus on after your father's death."

"Yeah well, thanks I guess, but you're not turning me against my friends. I'm not sympathetic."

Eikner's face tightened and his voice grew tense and dangerous. "Fine, you want the truth, I'll give you the truth." He took a step forward, glaring at Jade. She swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced over as Beck stepped in front of her. Eikner's face darkened and his mouth twisted to a scowl. "Yes, we've expelled students that did not follow the paths that we were planning for them."

"It shouldn't be your decision," Cat argued, "It should be theirs."

"Kids, teenagers, they don't know what to do with their lives. They need a guiding hand, they need someone to show them the way." He put his hand to his chest and started to chuckle. "That's what we do here at Hollywood Arts, we show these students the way-"

"And then you expel the ones that don't share passions you see fit!"

"Look, if we see someone has aa talent for something, of course we're going to push them forward and encourage them to embellish that talent. They wouldn't find success otherwise."

Beck scoffed at Eikner, "Trina has." The man raised an eyebrow and Beck's lips twisted into a confident smirk. "She just won a martial arts tournament and has been granted acceptance into a prestigious academy. She's following _her_ dream, _her_ passion. Maybe you should keep in mind that you're not the parent, you're just the school-the institution. You don't control the students' futures or their lives."

"Well, congratulations for her then, but she's just one student."

"She fooled you. Made you think she was obsessed about singing, so that you'd ignore her. She put her sister on that stage so you'd focus on Tori instead, letting her remain in the school to further her martial arts and gymnastics skills."

"I see." Eikner's eyes drifted to the papers in Jade's hands. His forehead creased and a wrinkle popped up between his eyebrows. "How about this, let's make a deal. You keep quiet about all this, and I won't expel you. Not only will I not expel you, I will let you kids do whatever it is you want to do with your lives. If you don't want to sing, dance, act, paint, whatever it is…I'll leave that in your capable hands."

Jade gnashed her teeth and narrowed her eyes. "My loyalty and honor isn't up for sale." His offer certainly could tempt a person with less willpower, but she was already on a mission and wasn't about to give up. "Expel us if you want to, we'll still expose you."

"No, I doubt that. Because you see, as the director here, I can fabricate any story I want, as I have those students on that expulsion list." He pointed to the folder and Jade began to worry that she'd lose this fight. Still she kept her confident posture, feeling that if he sensed any lack of confidence on her part, he'd win. "And you will just sound like a disgruntled student trying to rip off a school that did everything they possibly could to give you an opportunity that you threw away."

"We could still sue."

"And I'd simply bribe the lawyer to throw away the case until you and your parents gave up. Do you even realize what you're up against right now, Miss West? Do _any_ of you realize how futile your situation is?"

The others began to mutter and Jade growled at them. Eikner tapped his fingertips together and brought them up to his face. "Okay, I'll extend my offer to you one more time. Forget all of this, and not only will I not expel you and give you full control over what you want to do, I'll pay each of you whatever it is you want."

"I just said, my honor isn't for sale."

"It doesn't matter to me, I still win either way." He walked to the file cabinet and picked up a manila folder with her name on it. She hissed as he began to recite the marks already on her record. "Jadelyn West, charged with assault on other students. Some cases of vandalism. You were questioned for tampering with medical equipment at a hospital, which put another student's life in jeopardy…I'd like to see you try and form a believable case."

"Well what if it's not her?" Robbie spat out. "What if like, I were to go and expose you?" He rolled his eyes and reached into the file cabinet, removing records on all of them.

"I've got some notes here, Mr. Shapiro. I could just as easily expose you for your crimes."

"Such as?"

"Cutting a student's harness during a play, and sending them to the hospital. A serious crime that would truly be reason for expulsion." Jade's eyes widened as Robbie turned white. "You didn't think I knew about that?"

"H-How? No, this isn't about me, this is about you!"

"I was the one that saw you do it, but I kept quiet for you. I said, you're a promising student with real potential, so I let it slide. I shouldn't have, especially because the law could charge me for withholding information in an investigation. You see, what you did was a criminal act, Mr. Shapiro, and while the statute of limitations has likely passed…you can still get into some serious trouble."

"Stop it!"

"You see, I have information on all of you. Like sweet little Miss Valentine, breaking into the school after hours to sleep in the auditorium. Or perhaps-"

"That's quite enough." Mr. Sikowitz's voice echoed in the room, causing everyone to jump. They turned to see him walking in with Lane and Mr. Vega. Lane's lips were stretched into a wide grin. He was holding a recorder in his right hand.

David walked towards Jade and took the papers from her. "I'll take those." He paused for a moment and turned his head to Robbie. "Oh, and Robbie? We're going to have a little discussion about that harness thing when we're done here." Robbie bowed his head and muttered to himself.

Eikner barked at Lane and Sikowitz, ordering them to explain themselves. Lane was the first to speak up, still holding the smirk on his face. "You see, Mr. Eikner. I'm an undercover agent, hired a few years ago to try and figure out if there was any truth to what David and the police force were being told about this school. Of course, I could find nothing, but thanks to these students here…you just spilled everything." Jade's heart leapt to her throat and she began to swell with relief and excitement. Although she was shocked that Lane was an undercover officer, it didn't matter now. "As for Sikowitz, he's just here to make sure his students are okay."

Sikowitz nodded and looked to the group. He poked his thumb over his shoulder and flashed a smile. "Get back to class, we'll take it from here."

They were happy to oblige. Jade stopped at the door when David called out to her. "You did good work." She spun around, silenced by the sudden rush of pride and comfort.

"Thanks Mr. Vega…"

"Trina and Tori tell me you were bored?"

"Um, yeah."

"My god." He shook his head and looked bewildered. After he laughed, he gave her a polite smile. "Maybe you would consider a career in law enforcement?" The blood in her body rushed to her cheeks and she chuckled nervously.

"I don't know if I have the patience for it, but maybe. It's a thought."

"Right. Well, take care."

"Thanks."

Afterwards, the entire school got to see Mr. Eikner being led out and pushed into the backseat of a patrol car. It took some time before the case went to court, but when it did, he was found guilty along with several other teachers for falsifying records.

Those who'd been wrongfully expelled from the school had the mark removed from their permanent records, though there was no true compensation for anything they may have already lost or went through. The lawyers and other public officials that were on the school's payroll did lose their jobs, but this opened the door for fresh workers who wouldn't be as corrupt.

The school did have to be shut down when they couldn't find adequate leadership, but that hadn't been the primary reasons. When the crime had been exposed, parents were quick to either take their students out of the school while other parents made sure not to enroll their students there to begin with.

Some students had been angry about the school closing, but most seemed to understand. Jade, like so many others, found solace at other schools that were more than willing to guide the students while letting the students have control over their futures.

As for Jade, she never thought investigating one person out of sheer boredom could lead to exposing a corrupt institution.

"You know what?" Beck put his arm around Jade's shoulders and she looked to his eyes with an adoring smile. "Next time you say you're bored and want to investigate something…I'm not even going to question it."

"Good." She kissed him and put her head to his shoulder. "Because you know I'll drag you into it."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the oneshot, do let me know.


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